Annual report 2015-16 Annual report 2015-16 | Page 11

actiononhearingloss.org.uk 11 Achievements and performance Support and Care In 2015–16 we spent £25.3m supporting people with deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss. Information and local services More than 11 million people in the UK have hearing loss. Our knowledge, skills and experience means we can provide the right support, from providing up-to-date information to face-to-face help and advice, when and where it is needed. Our impact: • We supported more than 14,700 people across the UK through our Information Line. We answered 16,917 calls and responded to 8,624 emails. “I can’t say enough how great it was to find you. It makes me feel we’re not facing this alone.” • Our Hear to Help hearing aid services gave life-changing help to over 33,000 people at drop-in clinics – or in their own homes. Staff and committed volunteers change batteries, perform repairs or simply spend time with people. It’s a truly local service, enabling so many to manage their hearing loss more effectively. “It is more convenient to use the service at the local library. Being 90 years old, with arthritis, they help with the things my hands can’t do; including changing batteries and tubes and giving advice. This means I can wear my hearing aids all the time. Thank you for your help.” • When several of these services in Wales and Scotland were under threat, volunteers and the people who use them mounted concerted campaigns to save them. We’ve made a video of Andrew, who tells us why saving his Hear to Help service in Powys, Wales, means so much. He can continue to get the best from his hearing aids – above all, he can hear his children. actiononhearingloss.org.uk/about-us/ annual-report/videos.aspx